Hacker News Reader

There is no space race to anywhere.

SpaceX just got the short end of the new Airforce launch contract, ULA got the big end for a rocket that’s never flown and won’t fly for another year. That’s after getting 2/3s as much as Boeing for a NASA crew launch capsule.

If SpaceX ever wants large proportions of federal space launch contracts, they have to start building rocket parts across all 50 states, especially Alabama.

View on HN

Meh, I think SLS will fold after a flight or two. There is no way to justify spending $800M per launch, assuming they launch at least twice, every 1.5-2 years when NASA could spend $150M for a Falcon Heavy launch or less when Starship starts flying. Especially when SpaceX can provide many launches per year.

Then again the US government doesn't really care if taxpayer money is well spent. NASA needs to shift gears to science and exploration. More rovers and deep space probes please and thank you.

The Senate Launch System provides many many jobs and thus many many votes for politicians who support it. If rational thought was at the driver’s seat it would have been cancelled way back.

The SLS is an indirect project to ensure the US ICBM solid fuel rocket manufacturing know-how and skills are not lost.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com